In February 2024, SwissABILITY returned to Sierra Leone for its first mission of the year and to continue supporting the country’s physical rehabilitation.
Within the week, thanks to the experience and strong motivation of Nelson Mubiru, our technician trainer from Uganda, we successfully made 18 new prostheses and repaired two more existing ones. The training involved 16 orthopedic technicians, including several students participating in the program supported by Human Study and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT), in collaboration with the K. Lisa Yang Center for Bionics.
Among the patients we met Ibrahim, who was born missing some fingers on his hands, without a leg, and with clubfoot on the other. Dr. Kebbie, the head of physical rehabilitation in Sierra Leone, met him and his mother as they were heading to the physiotherapy unit for one of the final treatments for his clubfoot. Dr.Kebbie invited them to come to the orthopedic centre to explore the possibility of receiving a prosthesis. The trainer Nelson Mubiru was immediately enthusiastic and in just four hours he prepared an orthosis for his clubfoot and a new and first leg!
To see photos of Ibrahim, follow the progress of SLASA, and find out more about the February 2024 Sierra Leone mission you can read the newsletter at the following link.
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